In the aftermath of Jonathan Majors various legal issues, the actor found his professional career on the downturn. Once positioned as the next major villain in a slate of upcoming Marvel movies, he's been officially fired from his Kang role and dropped by major studios and, with that, he's been fighting for his professional future. Yet, with Magazine Dreams—a film that once had strong Oscar buzz—finally set for release a Hollywood casting director is weighing in on whether the movie’s success could revive Majors' career.
The 35-year-old actor was the subject of a recently released feature story from the The Hollywood Reporter. As part of that, a "prominent" casting director was interviewed and explained that while mainstream studios likely won’t reconsider the former A-lister anytime soon, independent producers might:
If [Magazine Dreams] comes out and it’s a giant hit, then everybody reassesses. Maybe not at the studios, maybe not at public companies, but independent people. You look at a guy like Jonathan Majors, is he talented? Absolutely. But is there somebody else who can fill the bill? Probably. There are a lot of really talented people out there, and there are fewer and fewer projects, so, with the exception of a very small echelon, people are replaceable.
That last point stands out. Hollywood has usually been pretty good at giving actors with past controversies another shot. However, the landscape is changing, especially after the #MeToo movement.
On April 19, following Jonathan Majors' arrest for assault, Variety reported that several unnamed women had come forward with allegations of abuse and are cooperating with the Manhattan district attorney's office regarding this matter. However, the embattled actor’s lawyer disputed the report, stating that the "story is baseless and lacks foundation," and expressed confidence in Majors' innocence. When it came to his legal case with ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, Majors was found guilty on two misdemeanor counts of harassment and assault.
Ultimately, nearly every project of the actors was canceled, and Searchlight removed the Magazine Dreams from its calendar completely. The domestic distribution rights were eventually acquired by Briarcliff Entertainment after the former studio dropped the film.
According to the casting director, something to consider is how Black actors are treated in the industry. The industry insider talked about just how different the experiences are for Black actors compared to white actors embroiled in controversy, saying:
Like other marginalized people, you know you have to be in better behavior.
This brings up a bigger point of discussion that's still talked about: a lot of Black performers see their careers take a hit because of controversies, while white actors often get second chances in similar situations. Examples that have been brought up before are Mel Gibson's legal troubles or Josh Brolin getting arrested for domestic assault back in 2004. Brolin and Gibson have since managed to keep their careers going despite those serious allegations.
Jonathan Majors finds himself in a difficult position. He still has some supporters within the industry, but his reputation has suffered significantly, making it challenging for him to regain Hollywood's trust.
The Devotion star is still attached to a few upcoming independent projects, including the revenge thriller Merciless, but his long-term career prospects remain uncertain. His performance in Magazine Dreams—a grueling character study about an aspiring bodybuilder—has been widely praised by those who have seen it. Still, its box office and critical reception will ultimately determine how audiences (and the industry) react.
For now, Jonathan Majors remains in professional purgatory. He’s seeking redemption while grappling with the reality of being, as he put it, "trapped in notoriety." Whether he can rebuild his career or if Hollywood has already moved on is something only time will tell.
Magazine Dreams will hit the 2025 release schedule very soon, as it opens in theaters on March 21. We'll see if it turns out to be the controversial star’s big comeback or if it’s just the final chapter in his Hollywood saga.
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